Where Trout's contract ranks among biggest in sports
Mike Trout got paid.
The Los Angeles Angels signed the superstar outfielder to a 10-year contract extension that kicks in after the 2020 season. Folded into the remaining two years of his present deal, Trout is set to earn $426.5 million overall.
But how does it compare to the biggest contracts in sports? Here, we take a look at the biggest deals to ever be signed across various leagues and promotions.
Note: The financial figures below are all reported deals. The ranking is determined by total value of contract and not by annual average.
Association Football: Neymar, Paris Saint-Germain ($600+ million)
In 2017, Neymar left Barcelona for Paris and became €500 million richer in the process. That incredible deal includes bonuses over a five-year period with the club. Not only that, but Paris Saint-Germain paid a record €222-million transfer fee to his former team.
Soccer has a slew of oversized contracts that rival, and exceed, the exorbitant deals signed throughout Major League Baseball. Lionel Messi is earning approximately $35.8 million per season with Barcelona, according to USA TODAY Sports, while Cristiano Ronaldo is banking $35.2 million every year with Juventus over his four-year contract.
MLB: Trout, Angels ($426.5 million)
No North American contract compares in terms of sheer volume. Few star athletes eclipse even the $300-million plateau, and Trout is getting more than $100 million on top of that. The deal he signed on Tuesday has him making $36 million annually starting in 2021 and is the most lucrative in baseball history. The pact will keep him in California through the 2030 season, which could be the rest of his career.
Harper is a distant second in MLB at $330 million with Giancarlo Stanton ($325 million) and Manny Machado ($300 million) close behind.
Boxing: Canelo Alvarez ($365 million)
Before Trout's contract shook the sports world, the largest contract belonged to Alvarez. He inked a five-year, 11-fight contract with DAZN worth $365 million in 2018. On an annual scale, his deal still dwarfs everyone else as Alvarez is paid $73 million per year through 2023.
NBA: James Harden, Rockets ($228 million)
In July 2017, Harden became basketball's most affluent player when he inked a four-year extension with the Houston Rockets. His $160-million deal folded into the remaining two years of his previous contract made the entire agreement worth a whopping $228 million.
Harden's contract came about a week after Stephen Curry signed a five-year, $201-million extension with the Golden State Warriors. Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook has Curry beat, earning $205 million over a five-year period through 2023. They may not match Trout's total, but their annual salaries are at another level.
NFL: Matt Ryan, Falcons ($150 million)
Ryan became the NFL's highest-paid player last year when he signed a five-year, $150-million extension. Unlike other leagues, that total isn't fully guaranteed over the life of the deal, but it's still the largest number put to paper for a gridiron athlete. Despite this, the contract reportedly includes $100 million guaranteed, which is also a league record.
Continuing the trend of usurping the previous money king in short succession, Ryan took the mantle from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins less than two months after his record-setting contract.
NHL: Alex Ovechkin, Capitals ($124 million)
Ovechkin's 13-year contract is a bit unique as eight-year deals now represent the longest available to a player under the current CBA. With a salary cap in place, it may be a while before someone comes close to challenging Ovie's title.
In terms of yearly earnings, however, several players have inked more lucrative deals. Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid ($12.5 million), Toronto Maple Leafs forward Auston Matthews ($11.6 million), and Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty ($11 million) are among the players who earn more annually, according to Spotrac.